Adam: In Bay ward, it's a clash of the (local) political titans

There’s no party politics in municipal elections, but dig deep in Bay ward and the undercurrents of partisan politics are hard to miss. What you’ll also find is a family dynamic that’s raising the political temperature even higher.

Bay is an open seat, and five candidates are running to replace the departing Mark Taylor: Erica Dath, Don Dransfield, Theresa Kavanagh, Marc Lugert and Trevor Robinson. Dath, Robinson and Lugert will no doubt give it their all, but the race is really between Dransfield and Kavanagh, two candidates with political roots in Ottawa West-Nepean, where the ward is located. But the race is as much a battle between two political families as it is about municipal politics.

Dransfield is a Liberal who once ran for the provincial party. His wife is the sitting federal Liberal MP, Anita Vandenbeld. Kavanagh is a former school board trustee, a New Democrat and one-time federal party candidate. Her husband is former Bay councillor Alex Cullen, once a Liberal MPP before he was expelled from the party, joined the NDP and ran for it in the 2014 provincial election. They both have campaign machines rooted in political parties.

Adding extra spice to the race is the so-called “defection” of former Ottawa West-Nepean Liberal riding association president Carolyn Montague to Team Kavanagh as campaign manager. On the surface, this looks like a perfect example of the beauty of municipal politics, where partisans can work across party lines. That is how Kavanagh sees it, saying, “it’s about building a coalition.”

Dransfield is not making too much of it either. “Whatever party you’ve been involved in, is not what you are running on. People choose to work on whatever campaign they want,” he says, pointing out he has Conservatives and New Democrats working on his campaign.

That may well be the case, but privately Kavanagh supporters speak about Montague’s presence in their ranks as a defection and indeed a coup. It all makes for a tense race that is extremely difficult to call, with both frontrunners confident of victory.

“The campaign is going great. I have done over 5,000 doors and I am enjoying it,” Kavanagh says.

“We are getting very positive results at the door. The campaign is going well,” says Dransfield.

The other candidates are working hard, too. Robinson, who drives a school bus, ran the last time, placing fourth. He faces an uphill task to make a serious impression but is undeterred. “It’s going well and right now, it could be anybody’s game,” he says. Dath, a public servant, is also feeling good. “Overall, the campaign is really going well. I am speaking with residents and having conversations with pillars of the community.” Lugert, a former community association president, could not be reached before deadline.

The candidates have similar views on the issues, which have a lot to do with the impact of Stage 2 LRT, new development that is bringing unwanted traffic into neighbourhoods, and speeding on residential streets. There is also the question of the aging Ron Kolbus Community Centre, which area residents want replaced.

Of particular concern is the future of Lincoln Fields mall, slated to be torn down for a new development that would include residential towers. What replaces the old Sears building at Carlingwood mall, also slated for demolition, is also a major concern. “Development is a big issue here,” says Britannia Village Community Association president Jonathan Morris.

Look at the Bay race this way: Kavanagh has served two-terms as school board trustee in the ward. Her husband has won three elections as Bay councillor. They both know something about elections campaigns. Then there are all those NDP ties. On the other side is Dransfield, who is a well-known Liberal in the area. Add to that the important presence of his wife, Vandenbeld, a Liberal MP who can bring her influence and network to bear on the race.

Who is the favourite? It is a coin toss. The winner may well be the team that can best rally its supporters to vote.

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